Access to healthy, affordable food is not guaranteed for the 14.2% of St. Louis residents who live in any one of the 18 food deserts in the city. When faced with this uncertainty, the quality and nutritional value of the food that is available proves to be less of a priority for many. This disparity is unfortunately all too common in the United States and for St. Louis it extends to all parts of the city. These communities are disproportionately poor, majority-minority, and for the families living in them, the impact is marked, manifesting in every form of malnutrition along the spectrum from starvation to morbid obesity. Our panel will discuss this problem in depth and offer opportunities for student to get involved with ongoing efforts to solve it.